The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Buddleja davidii and will be referred to hereafter as xe2x80x98Santanaxe2x80x99. xe2x80x98Santanaxe2x80x99 represents a new Butterfly Bush, a deciduous shrub grown for landscape use.
The new cultivar, xe2x80x98Santanaxe2x80x99, was discovered as a sport that appeared on a plant of Buddleja xe2x80x98Royal Redxe2x80x99 (unpatented) in the garden of the inventor in North Yorkshire, UK in 1990. xe2x80x98Santanaxe2x80x99 was discovered as a naturally occurring lateral branch mutation of Buddleja xe2x80x98Royal Redxe2x80x99 (unpatented). It was isolated from the parent plant and found to have stable, variegated foliage. The new cultivar can be readily distinguished from other cultivars of Buddleja davidii known to the inventor in that the leaf margins are a bright yellow to golden color. The two closest cultivars are xe2x80x98Harlequinxe2x80x99 (unpatented) and xe2x80x98Masqueradexe2x80x99 (unpatented); both have creamy-white leaf margins and purple-red flowers. Leaf margins of xe2x80x98Santanaxe2x80x99 are wider than leaf margins of xe2x80x98Harlequinxe2x80x99 and xe2x80x98Masqueradexe2x80x99. The flower color of xe2x80x98Santanaxe2x80x99 is purple-red and essentially the same as xe2x80x98Royal Redxe2x80x99, xe2x80x98Masqueradexe2x80x99 and xe2x80x98Harlequinxe2x80x99.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by softwood cuttings in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, UK on July 1990. The characteristics of this cultivar have been determined to be stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combination distinguish this cultivar from other commercial varieties known to the inventor.
1. The foliage of xe2x80x98Santanaxe2x80x99 has bright yellow to golden margins. The centers are dark green with some mottling of a lighter green. The golden margins are wider than comparative cultivars (3-5 mm). The leaf margins are 1-1.5 mm on xe2x80x98Harlequinxe2x80x99 and 2-3 mm on xe2x80x98Masqueradexe2x80x99.
2. xe2x80x98Santanaxe2x80x99 has sweetly scented purple-red flowers.
3. xe2x80x98Santanaxe2x80x99 is a medium-sized cultivar of Buddleja davidii, reaching 1.85 M in height with a spread of 1.5 M. Many cultivars can reach 3 M in height and 5 M in width.
4. xe2x80x98Santanaxe2x80x99 can be distinguished from xe2x80x98Royal Redxe2x80x99 by its variegation with leaf margins that are 3 to 5 mm in width of a bright yellow to golden color. xe2x80x98Royal Redxe2x80x99 in contrast has leaves that are solid green with no variegation. The flower color and other general characteristics of xe2x80x98Santanaxe2x80x99 are similar to those of xe2x80x98Royal Redxe2x80x99.